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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26215423">The Trees Wept With Us That Day</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/coconutdreams/pseuds/coconutdreams'>coconutdreams</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Akaashi's dog dies, Angst, Animal Death, Bokuaka - Freeform, Comforting, Crying, Friendship, Grief, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Midnight calls, One Shot, im so sorry my first piece is so sad, you can interpret this as platonic or romantic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 09:00:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,379</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26215423</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/coconutdreams/pseuds/coconutdreams</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bokuto gets an unexpected call from Akaashi.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akaashi Keiji &amp; Bokuto Koutarou, Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>57</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Trees Wept With Us That Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>My dog recently passed away, and my writing this is my coping mechanism.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bokuto's phone vibrates on the nightstand beside his bed. He grabs it, pulling until the charger comes out, and peers at the caller ID. </p><p> </p><p>It's 12:04, and the room is pitch black. Bokuto squints at the brightness of the screen and thinks he's imagining the horribly misspelled AKAAAAASHIII that's shining in his face. </p><p> </p><p>Akaashi never contacts him first.</p><p> </p><p>Bokuto clicks the green button in the bottom right corner of the screen and sits up a bit, bringing the phone to his right ear.</p><p> </p><p>"Akaashi?"</p><p> </p><p>Akaashi never calls people.</p><p> </p><p>"B-bokuto." </p><p> </p><p>Akaashi never stutters.</p><p> </p><p>"Wait right there. I'll be there in five."</p><p> </p><p>A whimpering noise comes from the phone. "Okay, I'll leave the door open." </p><p> </p><p>Bokuto is already out the front door by the time Akaashi finishes his sentence. Before the younger boy hangs up, Bokuto hears a hiccup followed by a muffled cry.</p><p> </p><p>Akaashi never cries.</p><p>〜〜〜</p><p>True to his word, Akaashi's door is open when Bokuto arrives. What was usually a twelve minute walk turned into a three minute sprint, and Bokuto's lungs burn by the time he's standing on the porch. </p><p> </p><p>He doesn't wait to catch his breath and opens the door. He'd left in such a rush that he hadn't bothered putting on shoes. He hopes the Akaashi family doesn't mind the dirt he's probably tracking in as he makes his way upstairs, taking two steps at a time. </p><p> </p><p>Akaashi's door is closed, and Bokuto lightly taps on it.</p><p> </p><p>"Akaashi, I'm here."</p><p> </p><p>The door opens slowly, and as more and more of his friend comes into view, Bokuto feels his heart drop. Nothing has prepared him for the absolutely anguished and broken expression that's dawning Akaashi's usually stoic face. </p><p> </p><p>Bokuto's mind starts whirling in panic.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Oh no, oh no. What's wrong? What's happening? I don't know what to say. How should I comfort him? What shou-  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>"She's dead." Akaashi's voice breaks Bokuto out of his inner ramblings. Fresh tears begin to appear in his already red-rimmed eyes, and as they begin to fall, it takes everything in Bokuto's power to stop himself from pulling his teammate into his arms and telling him that everything will be alright. </p><p> </p><p>But obviously everything was not alright, and Bokuto supposes it would be smarter to ask what was wrong before saying cliche words of assurance.</p><p> </p><p>"What happened?" Bokuto presses a hand to Akaashi's back and leads him to his bed where they both take a seat, surrounded by the various owl stuffed animals that they had won at the arcade a couple months back. "Who's...dead?" Bokuto whispers that last word, tentatively glancing at Akaashi who is looking at the ground.</p><p> </p><p>"She...my dog." Akaashi turns to face Bokuto, visibly shaking as he continues to cry. His words come out hitched and breathy as he tries to calm down to explain what happened, but as the story progresses, his crying only worsens. "She went to the vet today. It was s-supposed to be a...normal visit, but..." Akaashi pauses. His breathing is picking up in speed, and he closes his eyes, gripping his sheets tightly in each hand. </p><p> </p><p>Bokuto moves his hand in small circles on Akaashi's back, waiting for the boy to continue. He grabs one of the owl plushies, a large, life-sized, great horned owl that Bokuto had won after beating the record on the game that measures punching strength. He places it in Akaashi's lap to which Akaashi gratefully wraps his arms around it, hugging the giant bird whilst burying his face in its fluffy plumage.</p><p> </p><p>After a few minutes of Bokuto tracing shapes on Akaashi's back, Akaashi catches his breath and lifts his head. He's stopped crying for now, but with his stuffy nose and swollen eyes, it's hard to say how long it'll stay that way.</p><p> </p><p>He looks at Bokuto again. There's a sadness in his eyes that he's never seen before, and although Bokuto wouldn't normally characterize Akaashi as delicate (hell, he was six-feet-tall and could handle the mental pressure that comes with being a setter) that's the only thing that's coming to his mind as he takes in the situation.</p><p> </p><p>"It was her heart." Akaashi's voice is steadier but still a bit thick and nasally. "During her x-rays, it started to..." Akaashi's tears start up again, and he hugs the owl closer. "Um...she's been having fluid build up around her h-heart that we didn't know about..and I guess she was...s-scared at the vet." Akaashi takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly before finishing. "Her heart began to race, and it just...it just gave out on her."</p><p> </p><p>A new wave of grief hits Akaashi as if saying the words out loud had solidified the reality of this whole mess. Sobs begin to wrack his body, shaking it until Bokuto wraps his arms around him and pulls him close.</p><p> </p><p>Bokuto tucks Akaashi's head underneath his chin, his dark hair soft against his neck. It's a bit of an awkward position until Akaashi brings his arms around Bokuto, making it easier and more comfortable for the both of them. </p><p> </p><p>"I know it's hard." Bokuto whispers, trying to sound as soothing as possible. He places his hand on the back of Akaashi's head, trailing his fingers through his light curls. "You both had a special bond, and I can't imagine how difficult this is for you."</p><p> </p><p>Bokuto was always rambunctious. His laughter was contagious, and his presence was known even in the biggest of rooms. He had thought that projecting emotions loudly and proudly was the best way to express oneself, but it wasn't until Bokuto first met Akaashi that he realized there were other modes of expression that didn't involve big peals of laughter and shouts of excitement.</p><p> </p><p>Akaashi wasn't the type to overflow with emotions. His smiles were hard to perceive. His laughter was few and far between, and although he sometimes made witty remarks, they were usually said in earnest and not meant to be taken in the sarcastic manner they came off as . Some people might perceive him as cold or apathetic, but Bokuto knew that he simply had a silent way of experiencing emotions. While Bokuto's emotions were in bold, Akaashi's were in fine print. Nevertheless, they were both human and thus had the same feelings. Bokuto couldn't imagine how much grief the boy in his arms was experiencing for him to break down in such a way.</p><p> </p><p>"I miss her so much." Akaashi hugs tighter and buries his face into Bokuto's chest. His tears begin to soak into Bokuto's shirt.</p><p> </p><p>If Bokuto had thought before that emotions were better expressed in obvious (and usually loud) ways, then it was the moment he first visited the Akaashi house that was the tipping point for his stance on expression. Bokuto had never seen such adoration in his teammate, nor had he ever seen a dog so excited to see its owner. The interesting thing was that both Akaashi and his dog were oddly quiet when they interacted. If Bokuto had had a dog, he probably would have shouted its name from three blocks away and expected equally as excited barking in response. However, that wasn't the way it went down between Akaashi and his dog.</p><p> </p><p>Akaashi had always seemed so concise in both his speech and mannerisms. To his teammates and classmates, his demeanor appeared blunt, but Akaashi simply valued action over words. There was no better example of this than when he was with his dog.</p><p> </p><p>The love that shone through Akaashi's eyes when he gazed at his dog was reminiscent of the way Bokuto might've imagined a reunion between long-lost relatives. The way Akaashi embraced the small, fluffy dog whose fur was so soft to the touch and how he brought the animal into his arms, hugging and squeezing it, as he made his way into the house to prepare homemade treats made Bokuto realize just how much love could be conveyed through simple petting and doting smiles. The dog always responded to Akaashi's love, not with barking or whining, but with jumps of joy, loving eyes, and many, many kisses. Their language consisted of less "explanation" and more "doing".</p><p> </p><p>A picture was worth a thousand words, but after that day, Bokuto thought actions were worth a million.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm sure you do." Bokuto continues stroking his hair. "I miss her too, and I'll miss the way we used to play with her."</p><p> </p><p>"We buried her with some toys and a picture of us when we were younger." Akaashi pulls back a bit to look Bokuto in the face. "We put the volleyball toy you got her in there too. That was one of her f-favorites." </p><p> </p><p>Akaashi then gets up and walks to his desk, grabbing something before sitting back down on the bed. Akaashi places his dog's collar into Bokuto's palm. "We kept this though. To remember her by."</p><p> </p><p>Maybe it was the initial shock or the panic, but Bokuto had, up until this point, not felt the urge to cry. But as Akaashi says those words, and as the weight of the collar suddenly seems so much heavier, Bokuto feels tears spring to his eyes. They blur his vision, and his throat tightens as he gazes upon the collar in his hands.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> This wasn't right. It shouldn't be like this. Akaashi should be sleeping. He should be sleeping. They had school tomorrow. They had a practice game tomorrow. It was supposed to be a normal day. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>It was supposed to be a normal day.</p><p> </p><p>As all these thoughts fly around in Bokuto's brain, Bokuto begins to understand why the first stage of grief is denial. It all seems too unreal, and he can only imagine how much worse it is for Akaashi.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> How long ago had it happened? How long has Akaashi been crying? How long has he been alone? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Bokuto wants to ask all these questions, but Akaashi answers them before he has the chance.</p><p> </p><p>"It happened around 4:00." Akaashi is fiddling with his fingers, staring at nothing in particular as he recalls the events of the afternoon. His voice is ironically better now considering that Bokuto is 100% sure that if he tried to talk, he would probably end up bawling. "But I only found out around 6:00 after practice finished. I thought it was weird that she wasn't in the front yard when I came home, and then I knew something was wrong when I saw both my parents' cars in the driveway. My mom pulled me aside as soon as I came in the house, but I don't think I really comprehended what was happening until I saw her body wrapped in the towel."</p><p> </p><p>The imagery is enough to make Bokuto queasy, and for once, he is glad that he hadn't eaten seconds at dinner. </p><p> </p><p>"I was so blindsided, Bokuto." Akaashi glances at Bokuto whose tears have started rolling down his cheeks. "I don't think I've ever been so shocked." He splays the palms of his hands in front of Bokuto. "I dug the hole as a quickly as I could, but I probably should've worn gloves."</p><p> </p><p>Blisters line the upper part of Akaashi's palms and on the sides of his thumbs. Some have already popped, and the rest look red and swollen. </p><p> </p><p>"I guess you won't be playing volleyball tomorrow."</p><p> </p><p><em> Wow. Nice response. </em>Bokuto internally cringes at his lack of ability to say the right things in these types of situations, but Akaashi doesn't seem to care.</p><p> </p><p>"I suppose not, but I'm still coming to the practice game tomorrow."</p><p> </p><p>"Really?" Bokuto had expected Akaashi to maybe take a couple days off. He knew that if something like this had happened to him, he'd probably take two weeks off at least.</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah," Akaashi falls onto his back and folds his hands on his stomach. "I've been off and on crying for the past couple hours. If I stay home by myself, I'll probably go insane thinking about the what-ifs and should-haves."</p><p> </p><p>Bokuto also lays back on the bed. It's a queen size, and because they're both laying horizontally, their legs hang off the edge a bit. "Is that why you called me? So you wouldn't be by yourself?"</p><p> </p><p>"And so I could get out of my head."</p><p> </p><p>"Were you..." Bokuto hesitates. He doesn't want to insinuate anything, but he also doesn't want Akaashi to be in any danger. "thinking of...<em>bad</em> things?"</p><p> </p><p>"No, nothing like that." Bokuto feels relief wash over him. "There are just so many things I didn't get to do." Akaashi turns his head to make eye contact with Bokuto. The redness in his eyes has dulled, and he doesn't sound as broken as before. "I was going to take her to the dog park this weekend. It was supposed to be a reward for taking my test tomorrow. Well, I guess it's actually today's test." He returns his gaze to the ceiling and sighs. "I've been so wrapped up in school that I took her presence for granted. It just seemed like she'd always be here."</p><p> </p><p>"There's no way you could've known, Akaashi." Bokuto is still staring at the boy whose eyes are transfixed on the ceiling. Although, it seems as if his gaze is looking far beyond the confines of his house. </p><p> </p><p>"Logically, I know that, but I still can't help feeling that regret. I've been too wound up lately. Worrying so much about the future and my grades that I didn't take the time to appreciate what I had in the present." Akaashi closes his eyes and covers his face with his hands. "I can't believe it took the death of my dog for me to realize that."</p><p> </p><p>Bokuto doesn't know what to say. What is there to say at a time like this? It's 12:52. Akaashi's dog is dead. They're both a wreck. And the world isn't stopping for either of them.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm sorry for making you come all the way here. You can stay over if you want."</p><p> </p><p>Bokuto doesn't remind him that it was actually him who decided to sprint here in the dead of night.</p><p> </p><p>"Thanks, Akaashi." They lay there in silence, and even though Akaashi's eyes are closed, Bokuto's certain he won't get any sleep tonight.</p><p> </p><p>"Thank you too, Bokuto."</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you to everyone who read this. </p><p>I am relatively new to creative writing and have written only two creative pieces prior to this one, but from the little experience I've had with this art, I can confidently say that writing is very cathartic.</p><p>I based this fic off of what happened to me a couple days ago.</p><p>I miss her so much. My parents have already put away her bowls and gates. Every time, I walk past her favorite spots to lay, I become even more aware of the emptiness within the house and my heart. I cannot even describe what it felt like to dig my own dog's grave.  When the blisters on my hands heal, I'll probably start crying again.</p><p>If you're wondering why I titled this The Trees Wept With Us That Day, it's because we buried her under the birch trees in our backyard. For some reason, this year our birch trees started leaking water. I first noticed it about two weeks ago. It's a condition called positive root pressure (if you'd like to look into it), and the phenomenon is quite amazing. Yesterday, when my dad and I were digging the hole, the birch trees were raining water. It was as if they were crying with us.</p><p>Finally:<br/>To everyone who has pets,<br/>please give them lots of love for me.<br/>My dog is gone, but there are many more animals in this world that I hope to meet in the future!<br/></p></blockquote></div></div>
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